And to think I'd never see you again
by justinstories12
Summary: Emma is just paying her debts; but could they lead to her paying them and being reunited with someone she doesn't want to see? (Note: I re-uploaded the story,by the way thank you to one of my reviewers who pointed out a mistake I made.)
1. prologue

Title: And to think I'd never see you again.

Prologue

Summary: Emma is just paying her debts; but could they lead to her paying them and being reunited with someone she doesn't want to see?

Emma felt something wrong about this trip, as if she knew something bad is going to happen. She started saying her goodbyes and tried to say the hardest one of them all, to her son.

"Goodbye Kid" she said as she hugged him, she had just recently left him and now she had to do it again. "Why do you have to go, you just came back" Henry complained as he pulled from the embrace and looked at his mother's face.

"I don't want to, but I must honor my word" Emma said as she kissed her son on the forehead.

"Sorry to interrupt but you're not staying here Henry." Gold said with a chuckle as he opened the door of the apartment.

"Then where am I staying?" Henry said curiously, he was hoping that he would say that he was going with them.

"Hold up there" Emma said shielding her son from Gold. "What do you mean by he's not staying here?"

"Well you do know, you're coming with us"

"Really, I am?" Henry asked excitedly.

"Good" Emma said as she held her son's hand. "Go pack" she ordered him to do.

"I'll help" Snow said as she hurriedly ran to Henry's room.

"This better not be a trick Gold, Henry means a lot to me." Emma said seriously, trying to get down to business.

"I'm not playing games dearie" Gold said as he magically made a map appear in Emma's Hands.

"Manhattan"

"You've got it." Gold said as Henry went in and asked where his extra coat was. "I've got it" Snow said as she led Henry into the bathroom to get all of his toothbrushes and soaps. "So we drive to the airport and take a flight to Manhattan." Emma said as she placed the map on the kitchen counter.

"I'll meet you at the town boarder." Gold said before leaving the apartment.

"Great so now both of you are leaving." Charming said finally, he had been silent for this whole time.

"Can you watch my steed for me Gramps?" Henry asked his Grandfather.

"Alright, I'll watch your steed." Charming said with a sigh as he patted his Grandson on the head and messed up his hair.

"Don't forget, remind me about your next swordsmanship lesson when you come back." Charming said as he sent Henry off to say Goodbye to his Grandmother.

"Bye Granma." Henry said as he hugged her.

"Oh, Henry can you not call me Granma." You're making me feel old." Snow said just before she started to laugh with her Grandson. "Bye" she said as she hugged him again.

"You know our cell phone numbers right?" Charming asked the two as Henry finished packing.

"Yeah I've got you on contact, don't call me on the plane alright" Emma told him as she opened the door and carried her bag outside.

Emma made sure to stop by the office first and fix up her belongings; she wouldn't know how long they would be gone.

They met Gold at the border and got into his car. Henry got into the back seat and put on his seat belt. Emma buckled up and asked Gold how they are supposed to cross the border.

"You don't need to worry about that, I only have to since you two don't have memories to lose."

As they started driving Gold said with determination.

"We're going to find my son."

Emma looked at her son and then she looked through the rear view mirror.

They had passed the border.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Note: I took some of this content from the "Tiny" Sneak Peek

They had arrived at the airport; they got their tickets at the counter. Gold wasn't that civilized, never coming out of Storybrooke before.

"Have you ever been out of Storybrooke before Mr. Gold?" Henry asked curiously.

"No." Gold replied.

"Are you nervous?"

"No."

"Are you worried about meeting your son?"

"No Henry I'm fine!"

"Why don't we talk about this later kid?" Emma said interrupting into the conversation. They were almost at the front of the line.

"It must be pretty hard, not able to use magic." Henry said as he took a basket and started putting his belongings in it.

"You know you put your shoes in there." Emma instructed Gold.

Gold put on a disgusted face, putting shoes in basket and having them be reused? He felt as if he wanted to throw up.

"How terribly uncivilized." Gold remarked as he started taking off his shoes.

"Um, scarf and cane go in the basket." A security officer told Gold.

"What?" He asked him.

"Scarf and cane go in the basket."

"I can't." He told Emma reluctantly. He couldn't lose his identity of Rumplestilskin or he might never find Bae. "You have to." Emma told him. "It aint Rocket Science Buddy ever been on a plane before?" A guy scoffed from behind them. "You ever been impaled upon a cane before?" Gold said raising his cane, ready to attack.

"My father is really nervous, were heading to a family reunion." Emma said as she put her hand on Gold's shoulder trying to calm him down. She had already been in Prison once, and she knew Gold wasn't going to enjoy it.

"You're Father?" Gold asked her. That's what Emma came up with?

"Put it in the basket." Emma instructed him again.

"But if I put this away I might forget who I am."

"I'll make sure that won't happen." She told him. Gold reluctantly put the scarf into the basket and went through the screen check. Without his cane Gold had to hang on the machines hoping he won't fall. Gold eventually got his shoes and cane back, and headed to his seat, awaiting their flight.

Meanwhile back at Neal's apartment.

"Broken?" Neal Cassidy asked himself.

"Emma." Memories started to pile up on him, he wasn't going to wait anymore terrible years for her. "Get this to him." Neal said as he started to write a note on a small sheet of paper.

Dear August

"I want to know where she is, what she's been up too; convey my message to her."

"Find him, and lead me back to her." He said launching the messenger bird back into the sky.

A few hours later on the first flight to Manhattan…

"So how are we supposed to find Baelfire?" Emma asked as they took their seats, same row Gold on her side and Henry on the other.

"I'll tell you that when we get there." Gold said as he startled upon putting on his seatbelt to the horrifying noise of the propeller starting. Henry couldn't help but hide his laughter by shoving his face onto the head of his chair. "What in the world is that?" Gold asked nervously. "The Engine; and Henry get your face out of there." Emma said grabbing her son's head by his hair and pulling him forward.

"Ow."

"It's going to get a lot worst if you could have gotten sick by all that dust in that seat."

It was hard doing all of these crappy things a regular mother would do, but she lost Henry once and she's not going to lose him again. Emma thought to herself as she slowly pushed her back onto the seat comfortably.

After a few hours of waiting, they had finally arrived in Manhattan. Gold hated airplane food, the smell, and especially the stalls which had just a small confined room. Henry enjoyed his first plane ride,; It was fascinating for him reading his book so many feet above the air.

They stayed one night in separate rooms, one for Gold, one for Emma and Henry. Gold finally had a decent meal, and Henry took a nice long shower. The following morning Emma asked the same question again. "How are we supposed to find Baelfire?" This time she had her answer; Gold had enchanted the satchel with the same potion used on Charming's ring to find Snow.

"How does it work?"Emma asked.

"I know how to use it mom." Henry said proudly

"You do?"

"Ah yes remember Miss Swan, Henry's Book?"

"Right" Emma said dumbfounded

So they walked down the streets and Emma just wanted for the crap scarf to glow. She wanted this over so she could return to Storybrooke and deal with Hook and Cora. Then all of the sudden it started to glow, Henry immediately threw his jacket over it, hoping won't attract any attention.

"Bae, is this where you are?" Gold said as he raised the scarf over the apartments, one in particular made it grow brighter. "Are you crazy?!" Emma whispered loudly to Gold as she covered the scarf with her jacket as well and threw it back on Gold's shoulder.

"We can't attract any attention Gold!" Emma said shaking him a few times getting some attention into him. "Right, sorry." Gold apologized as they knocked on the door of the apartment.

"How may I help you?" The man asked opening up the door.

"Hi may we speak to you inside please." Emma asked politely

"Please come in and have a seat." The man told them as he gasped at the sight of Emma's face.

"Emma, is it really you?" The man asked as he put his hand on her shoulder.

She looked back at him and saw a face she wouldn't ever want to see again. "Neal." Emma said with a voice that immediately changed tone from a polite to serious one. "I can't believe its actuall- Neal was caught on deaf ears as Emma pulled him from the arm to his bedroom.

"What the hell are you doing here, you live here?!" Emma asked him loudly.

"Emma I can explain."

"Oh sure you can Neal, Explain the fuck why I was stuck in jail for 11 months without you there?!" Emma uttered to him. "August, he told me to do it." Neal explained.

"And you believed him?!" "You sent your own Girlfriend pregnant to jail?!" Emma yelled as her voice started to crack. Emma was furious; she slapped him hard on the face.

"OW, Crap!"

"You deserved that!" Emma said trying to catch her breath.

"Wait… Pregnant; you were Pregnant?!"

"Yes Neal, that 11 year old out there is OUR SON and you left both of us to rot in pain in misery in jail!"

"Emma you had a destiny to fulfill, August told me himself." "To hell with him, you could have found another way!" Emma was on the brink of tears, she was a strong woman; but every once In a while she broke. "Emma I'm so sorry, what are you out here for anyway?"

"Helping Mr. Gold find his son, which apparently is you."

"Wait a minute, who is Mr. Gold?"

"A pawnshop dealer, and if you believe in the curse then his name is Rumplestilskin."

"Oh no Emma you can't be possibly be helping my father, he is a coward!" "He left me to strive on my own, find out how to use a calendar in this world so that I can actually have a birth date and be adopted into the Orphanage."

"So it's true, you are Baelfire."

"No Emma, It's Neal I lost that name years ago because of what he did, if he wants to make it up to me now then to hell with him; he lost the title of being my father when he made me go into this world alone."

"Now then, you've got a lot to explain."

Emma had a drink with Neal and talked about why he left her. From the part where August came and told him about the curse, to way back where he went throughout time and space.

"And to think I'd never see you again."

"Well it seems we've found each other."

"It run's from my side of the family." Emma said and couldn't help but laugh. Neal had that warm and inviting smile that made her get together with him in the first place. There was a knock on the door, it was Gold.

"Well isn't it a nice family reunion."

"Where have you been this whole time?"

"Well I heard screaming and yelling and Henry and I decided not to interrupt."

"Now Bae the reason I am here is…"

"No don't even say a word, you're not my father you lost that title the day you chose your powers over me." "Bae, I let my power take over my judgment and I am sorry."

"Sorry doesn't cut it, you broke our deal, and you Rumplestilskin are truly a coward."

"Well I hope you find it in your heart to forgive me and if you wish to continue to talk to me or Ms. Swan than just follow us back to Storybrooke."

Gold couldn't help but hold back tears; he went into the living room and told Henry his mother wanted to see him. Gold started to shed tears, actuall tears of pain and regret. He wished he had taken back everything; he truly was a coward he thought to himself.

"I'm sorry Bae, I truly am a Coward." Gold said to himself as he took out a handkerchief and sunk his face into it and started crying.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Emma couldn't have found a better word to describe this moment than awkward; her former boyfriend and their son all in the same room.

"Mom, Baelfire…." Henry began.

"Henry…" Emma was as speechless to explain that Neal/Bae was actually Henry's father. She was too worried that Neal would eventually reveal the truth; and eventually Henry would discover the truth she didn't want to tell him. "Well… Um I guess we have things to explain to you."

"Wait does Henry know that I…?" Emma nodded a no; she knew already what question Neal was going to ask her. "Explain?" Henry asked.

Oh god, Emma thought to herself. This was going to be hard to explain and it's only going to hurt Henry, but she had no other choice. "Where do we begin?" Neal said with a sigh.

They told Henry everything, telling Henry their family history broke her heart. She saw how much her son was paying attention, but when she looked into his eyes she could tell he felt betrayed. Emma had lied to him, Henry deserved better. Henry took poison from a poison apple tart for her to believe in the curse. She started to regret what she put her kid through; she started to think as if this was all her fault.

Henry was speechless, he looked down. That very look broke Emma's tough will and she went to go hug her son. Henry did not want to be hugged; he moved away from her and walked away into the other room of Neal's apartment. Emma started to cry, her emotions took over and she allowed Neal to attempt to comfort her.

"Shhhh…. It's ok…" Neal whispered as he wiped the tears off of Emma's eyes and pulled her into an embrace. He started to run his fingers through her long blonde hair and kissed her on her forehead. This was what Emma thought before was the best part about Neal; as much charisma he had he was still cared deeply for her.

"It's not ok." Emma said as she buried her face into Neal's shoulder. "I'm not parent material, I never was." "I never was either Emma, and I regret I wasn't there."

Neal slowly pulled Emma away from him and rested her on the bed. He then stood up and went to go check on Henry.

"Hey kid."

"What do you want?"

"I just wanted to check on you, look Henry I'm sorry for everything we've lied to you about and how much you went through for your mother." "I'm not sure if Emma ever said she was proud of you, but I am."

"Hey and just a secret between you and me; your mother used to wear glasses." Neal said grinning with his mischievous smile.

"She did?" Henry said intrigued at the fact that his mother used to wear glasses.

"Oh yeah big glasses, like she had black circles around her eyes."

Henry started to feel better; he started to rethink his feeling for his father. He seemed the kind of fun mixed in with responsibility type of parent. "Hey dad, will you come to Storybrooke with us?"

"Yes Of course I will Henry." Neal said cherishing the very time he is spending with his son. Neal felt really proud, someone had called him "dad" and it was his son. Neal took his son's hand and brought him to his mother. "Hey kid." Emma said.

Henry didn't say any words; he just brought himself to his mother and embraced her. Emma flashed Neal a glare over Henry's shoulder saying "Thank you."

He nodded and gave her a glare back that said "You're welcome."

It had been a few hours and Henry had fallen asleep on the bed. Neal and Emma where still trying to fix things between them.

"Emma I want to be in Henry's life; so I'm going to Storybrooke with you."

"Are you now?"

"Yes, I asked Henry and it's what he wants too." "I'm sorry about what happened with us before, and now I'm here to fix it."

"Hey remember this?" Neal asked as he took the dream catcher off of his wall. Emma did nothing but just smile. "Of course I do." Emma said as she started to laugh at their old "Bonnie and Clyde" act.

"He's a good kid." Neal commented as he brushed Henry's hair.

"I've been really worried about him, he's been having Nightmares."

"Nightmares, are they frequent?"

"No he hasn't been having a lot of them for a few weeks."

"What are they about?"

"He was put under a sleeping curse, he had a dream link with a certain princess; and he described it as a burning room."

"Emma, I'd be glad to help in any way I can."


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"Miss Swan…"Gold began. "Save it." Emma told him with a nod; she knew she was the only way that Gold would get to talk to Neal. "Neal, can you come out here for a second."

"Mmmm… this chocolate from Storybrooke is really good Henry." Neal said with a grin to Henry showing all the chocolate in his mouth causing Henry to try to hold back his laughter. Neal patted his son's back and went to the other room. He stood in awe at the look of his father and then asked him what he wanted.

"Bae I…"

"I have nothing to say to you; it's Neal, I lost the name Baelfire the same day you chose your power over your own son."

"B… Neal please I need a chance to explain."

"Explain?!

"I made the curse so that I could find you; I've been waiting many years for this."

"Wait…" Neal's look immediately changed to the stare that only Emma knew…. Neal was really angry.

"You invented this crap!" "I had to be torn away from the boy that calls me father all because of you! "You know Rumplestilskin; at least I chose the path of responsibility instead of being a power obsessed coward who leaves his boy to venture through worlds." Gold flinched at his son's repeated attacks at him. Emma just stood there and watched as Neal began to attack him with words.

"My boy…" Gold said with tears starting to leave his eyes. "I am not your son you coward." Neal said pulling Emma into the room with him and locking the door. "Dad what's going on?"

"Not now Henry, Rumplestilskin got into a little fight with your dad and I need to talk to him."

"Emma there is nothing to talk about." "Yes there is." Emma said as she crossed her arms to prove her point. "He may have not chosen you then; but he is choosing you now." "Not only that but he has a girl he really cares about back home who really cares about him; I suggest that you be a man and give him a chance.

"Emma…" Neal complained. "Please." Emma pleaded. At that very look of Emma's eyes he accepted his defeat, telling her that he would talk to Gold on the way to Storybrooke.

"I just want you to know Neal, I'm not allowing you back into my life for me, I am only doing it for Henry." "If you still don't love me…. Why do you still wear that swan necklace I got for you?

Dammit… Emma thought, although Neal did have a point. "It reminds me to never trust strangers like you." Emma countered. With that Emma took out her phone and exited the apartment.

"Emma, are you ok?" Snow asked her daughter as she picked up her phone.

"It turns out Gold's son is Henry's father."

"Wait… so Gold's son is Henry's father making Gold his Grandfather?

"Yes, and Henry knows…

"Oh Emma… he must be devastated."

"No he's fine… I have to go goodbye."

Emma sighed and saw Gold come in through the door. "I see you and my son are rather well acquainted, how do you two know each other?""Gold…"

"This was part of our deal Emma, how do you know each other?!"

"He's Henry's father!"

Gold stood there in shock and awe. He was related to Henry?! "What's going on in here?" Neal said storming into the conversation. "You need to talk to me now if you want to break Emma's deal."

"Fine, inside three minutes only, that's it."

"Alright…"

Emma came into the room to see Neal and Henry talking on the fire escape. "What happened?" "He wants nothing to do with me." "Your debt is paid Miss Swan."

"Thanks…" She said as she took out her phone to go text Snow.

SNOW: Charming asked if family reunion went well.

EMMA: not so well; explain when we get to Storybrooke.

Snow: OK.

Henry and Neal had a sort of resemblance in Emma's eyes. She knew that they would get along well; but there was also Neal's father in the way. Gold had a flashback of his life and how he reunited with the seer. Could his own Grandson be the one to cause his downfall? He thought to himself as he stared as Henry through the window.

"Beware for this child will bring upon your downfall."

Gold then glanced upon Henry again, he had just learned that Henry is his Grandson and now he may have to kill him.

"No… I just have to focus on getting back with Bae first." He told himself.

"We'll be heading back to our hotel now."

"Bye kid." Neal told his son as he hailed a cab for them.

"Thank you." Neal said with a smile as he helped Emma into the cab. "Thank you for giving me a chance, with Henry."

"You're welcome."

"Bye dad!" Henry said as he stuck his face outside the cab window.

"Henry!" Emma called him as she pulled his face out of the window. Neal let out a little chuckle and headed back into his apartment.

A few days later…

"Emma!" Snow called to her daughter as she pulled her into an embrace. Charming joined in the embrace; but then backed off as he saw Neal's face. Oh no, Emma thought to herself, David would kill Neal if he knew what he did to her. "Gran Gramp; this is my dad!" Henry said excitedly as he pulled Neal towards Snow and Charming.

"It's nice to meet you Neal." Snow said with a smile as she shook Neal's hand.

Emma knew that when Neal and Charming where alone something would go wrong. Charming didn't even greet Neal;, he just shook his hand and gave him a glare she knew that meant something bad.

"Well, it seems somehow I'm part of this family." Gold said finally, he had been silent through the whole conversation. "Yes, I guess so." Charming told him.

A few minutes later …

"So you're Henry's father…"

"Yes sir."

"We need to talk."

Neal gulped as Charming brought him to the other room.

"Now then what happened between you and Emma?" Charming asked him.

"


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Neal had finished telling the story of what happened between him and Emma. Charming looked at him with a look that made him shiver a little. Neal gulped nervously and stood up, he then felt a burning pain in his neck and found himself against the wall.

"You're lucky that Henry wants you back in his life."

Neal desperately grabbed Charming's hand, and tried to push him off. This only told Charming to squeeze harder on his neck until Neal saw Charming fall and his father behind him. Charming was coughing and gasping for air as he looked up at Gold who had hit him fiercely with his cane. Charming screamed in pain as Snow ran to him.

"Get out." Neal uttered to his father.

"Bae…"

"Go." He said to his father motioning him to the door. Gold had no intention to leave, but he had more than his son here. Poor Belle was still in the hospital where he had left her. He rushed out of the room and drove to the hospital

"Are you ok?" Neal said with as he sheepishly grinned at Charming. "Why are you smiling?" Charming asked as he drank a glass of water Emma brought for him. "I'm just trying to make you feel better."

"That's very sweet Neal." Snow said to him as she playfully slapped her husband on the cheek for rolling his eyes. Neal couldn't help but chuckle as he walked towards Henry who was reading a big brown leather book.

"What story are you reading Henry?"

"Your story, on how you went through that portal."

"There's a whole lot that I can tell you that that book cant." "Like what?" "My adventure through the portal and how I got into this land." "Tell me dad, what was it like?"

"Terrifying, I still have dreams of it today." "Every time I go to sleep, I see my father's face as I fall through that portal. "

"I have nightmares too you know."

"Yeah, your mom told me about them."

"Told him about what?" Emma asked as she entered the room with a rather pale Charming. "Gramps are you alright?" Henry asked his Grandfather as he rushed to his side. "We're taking him to Dr. Whale in a few minutes; Snow's getting the car started up."

Emma laid him on the bed as Henry prompted up a few pillows for him. Charming weakly smiled at them as he lay down in the bed. "What's wrong with him?"

"I don't know, Rumplestilskin must have hit him really hard on the back."

"Don't worry; it'll take more than a broken back than to stop Prince Charming." Charming said to his family around him. "Is that so?" Emma said as she touched Charming's hip, causing him to utter a cry of pain. Emma, Henry, and Neal all laughed until Snow rushed in and hurried them all to the car.

"Are you alright?" Neal asked his father-in-law as he threw Charming's arm over his shoulder. "I'm fine."

"I'm sorry about… my dad."

"It's alright; we've been in a fight before."

"You have?"

"Yeah, but this time he beat me."

"So what you beat him the last time?"

"Yes."

"That's a Total lie." Snow said as she opened the car door. "Not in front of Henry; I'm a role model to him!" Charming complained as Neal helped him into the car. Neal and Henry both laughed at Charming's lie on how he beat Rumplestilskin, when actually Rumple beat him two times. "He beat you once in the enchanted forest and now here?" "You're better than that Gramps!" Henry teased, making the whole car laugh except Charming who kept making excuses on how his sword arm wasn't working well that day.

"Alright charming, let's go." Snow said as they arrived at the hospital.

"Dr. Whale we were wondering if you could…" Snow began and gasped at what she saw when they entered Whale's office.

"I…"

"Oh hey Snow…" Ruby began as she began to spin in circles and landed on Dr. Whale. "Oh gosh Ruby I think you had too much to drink. Snow said to her intoxicated friend as she pulled Ruby up and told Emma to get her out of here. "What the hell!" Snow whispered to Whale behind Ruby's back.

"I'm sorry." Whale whispered back as he began to pick up the bottles of alcohol on his office floor.

"What's going on here?" Henry asked as he saw Ruby with her hand around Emma's shoulder. "Um Ruby is feeling a bit sick." Emma lied. "What's up kid?" Ruby asked him as she put on a weird face and tried to shake Henry's hand, only to put her hand in the direction far away from where he was.

"Um ok…" Henry said awkwardly as he took Ruby's hand. "Ow!" Henry cried in pain as Ruby squeezed his hand tightly. "Ok bye Ruby!" Emma said as she rushed Ruby out of the room. "That was…"

"Awkward I know Henry; we need to talk to Dr. Whale so can you wait outside?"

"I'll watch him." Neal said taking Charming's arm off his shoulder and draping it over Snow's.

"Come on Henry."

"Ok dad."

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Snow said angrily. "Look I'm just getting along with your friend; she saved me from when I tried to commit suicide." Whale says as he backs away from Snow.

"Look…. Can you just help me?" Charming asked weakly, he felt numb and weak.

"Of course I can."

"If you'd come with me please."

Whale opened a door to a room where Charming lay on a bed as Whale began to press on his back.

"Ow, right there!" Charming cried, revealing his most painful spot. "We'll have to ex ray him; just tell his family that he will stay here for a few minutes till we get the results."

"Thank you, Dr."

A few minutes later, with Snow at the loudest, Charming's whole family gasped in awe as Charming came out sitting on a wheelchair. "I'll be fine, should be gone in a few weeks." He stated, trying not to worry his family.

"Good." Snow said leaning in to kiss her husband.

"Look what we have here." Gold said from across the hallway. "What are you doing here in a wheelchair?"

"You could have broken my back."

"And you could have killed my son." Gold countered.

"I'm fine."

"Neal…" Emma called to him, trying to get him out of the conversation.

"Emma." Neal warns her.

Emma took her son out of the hospital and walked across the street with him to Granny's. Neal joined in on them a few minutes later with Charming, Snow, and somehow Leroy behind him.

"We got into a little fight with Rumplestilskin." Leroy said as he sat down and stretched in his seat.

"What was the outcome this time?" Henry asked.

"We won, well with Leroy's help." Charming admitted.

"


End file.
